Ndamukong Suh called Roger Goodell to apologize

With the league’s decision on discipline for his kick to Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith coming soon, Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is trying to curry favor with the powers that be.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Suh called NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Sunday to apologize for his actions during the Thanksgiving game. One of the many factors believed to be weighing on the league as they decide Suh’s fate was his lack of remorse in the hours after the game, which makes reaching out to Goodell a pretty good move on the public relations front.

It probably won’t be enough for him to avoid a suspension, but it does raise the chances that he’ll only be suspended one game for the kick that led to his ejection. There’s not much history of multiple game suspensions in the Goodell era as only Albert Haynesworth has gotten such treatment from the league office.

Suh and Goodell got to know each other recently when Suh went to meet with the league about his habit of running afoul of league regulations during games. It didn’t seem to do the trick, but perhaps the fallout from Thursday’s incident will get Suh to take into account the ramifications of what he does on the field.

Suh needs a suspension, probably 2 games. He needs to learn that he can’t do whatever he want when things don’t go his way. He and the Lions as a team need to learn how outsmart opponents not beat the crap out of them.

What about the time the player got kicked in the groin by Robison. No ejection, no suspension and only a fine.

What about the numerous other shots after the whistle. Can’t have a double standard. the media sensationalism on this is ridiculous. What about the packers player beating his girl friend yet that isn’t discussed as much.

As I Lions fan, I was so ashamed of the way he approached the issue after the game. Its bad enough that he did that, but then to blatantly lie to your fans and the people who support you is just cowardly. Be a man, own up to your mistakes when they happen, not when your caught in your lies.

How about a one game suspension and a fine of 2 game checks? The fine in this case has to be huge, with him being a repeat offender and considering some of the other fines the league has handed out for hits during the play itself. Suh has to learn to control himself. He could have really hurt that guy badly. And I agree, how about an apology to the player he stomped on? Sheesh!

It feels like it’s only to try to weasel out of a suspension- not like he actually has remorse for what he did. If he’s still apologetic like that AFTER the axe falls, that might be different. For now, he’s saying what he has to say to save his own ass.

Reminds me of Todd Bertuzzi of the NHL, when he was with Vancouver and was looking at a major suspension for his attack that broke Colorado’s Steve Moore’s neck. Same thing- he blubbered and apologized until the suspension was handed down, then didn’t say another word- no reason to anymore, after all.

“It probably won’t be enough for him to avoid a suspension, but it does raise the chances that he’ll only be suspended one game for the kick that led to his ejection.”
——–
Wait… what? He apologizes 4 DAYS after the incident to a guy that had nothing to do with the actual stomp (aka he’s trying to suck up to the man in charge) and this increases his chances of a reduced suspension? I’m all for him trying to save face with the Commish, but this last-second desperation, forced apology should not factor into the suspension-length at all.

All that comes to mind is SO. It’s an attempt to ease the punishment and nothing else. The guy is an idiot with zero remorse. He already had a meeting with Goodell that was his own doing. He is saying to me that “yes” he is that stupid and dangerous because of his stupidity.

It seems that a one or two game suspension is warranted but the more important issue might be his need for counseling. His immediate reaction after Thanksgiving was very indicative of an individual who truly believed he did nothing wrong. I don’t believe the apologies since then are not sincere, but I don’t see any evidence that he will not repeat his on field behavior.

Goodell might consider a single game suspension with a five game suspension for a future infraction that occurs after the whistle has blown as part of the punishment.

So no fine for Dietrich-Smith for slamming Suh into the turf? I mean it was only after the play, and he only bent Suh backward. Sure Suh souldn’t have stomped on him, but its not as if Dietrich Smith was a saint and not playing dirty himself.

It’s Business School 101. The first thing you learn is to maximize your profits and minimize your losses. Suh is just trying to minimize the loss now that it is apparent to all with an IQ above the average cabbage that he screwed up and that Roger is fixing to get in his wallet.

I throw the red challenge flag to review the facts on the replay….hummmm, seems there was no remorse initially, only a stomp. Roger Goddell knows too: criminals are always sorry when they get caught. No more free passes. Three game suspension for you Mr. Suh!!

P.S. Suh was wrong. He should face some kind of suspension. How does that make the Lions the new Nazis? I think a lot of this is from fans of teams that don’t get the free “w” anymore (lookin at you, Chicago and Dallas!)

Who has he hurt? Nobody missed plays, etc. An attempted stomp, yes, not a good decision, but, it’s not like he hurt the guy!”

Especially since after Rogers has thrown the ball, all other lineman let up and Suh is on his knees, Dietrich-Smith is still shoving and slams him backwards. If you’re forcing someone backwards who is already down, and not trying to injure him, what exactly are you doing? I have yet to hear anyone explain that part.

Suh had a meeting with Goodell that was controversial. A lot of talking heads didn’t like it. After the Suhtomp a lot of those same talking heads brought up the meeting saying Goodell should come down even harder. Maybe Suh is apologizing to goodell personally for messing up and letting Goodell down. Robison got no suspension at all. Woodson Punched a guy after the play and didn’t even get a penalty. Aner management? For an NFL defensive lineman? Maybe with R.Lee Ermy you mamby pamby’s, now go polish your soccer trophies you got for coming in last place and leave the fines and suspensions to the league office.

and another thing, if Suh wanted to injure the guy he would be injured. look at what the GB Guard did to him while he was on his knees and the ball was gone. If the GB guard is gonna have his career threatened by a bruised bicep he shouldn’t be playing .This guy bent Suh right over backwards after the ball was gone. Should McCarthy be suspended for telling his players to goad Suh? What exactly does that mean and was the goading legal? Whatever is gonna happen is gonna happen and this phone call had nothing to do with Suh trying to get off easy. It already is what it is, but stop the drama and overhype on the deal. He’s not the antichrist fercrisakes!

I find it interesting that Schwartz was the D coordinator in Tennessee when Haynesworth went all American History X on Gurode. This behavior by Suh went unchecked by the Lions and Schwartz,now he’s getting suspended and lost a lot of fans.

@mdown15- the whole point is if he isn’t suspended he won’t learn a lesson and he will do it again and then he will almost certainly hurt somebody. apparently the only way to teach players the rules is fines and suspensions.

There is no way that he gets more than 2 games. How many games did the Johnson and Finnegan fight get? I might be wrong but warnt it like 3 or so? He’ll get one game rightfully so, and hopefully stop this non sense. He’s a smart kid, to my eyes this is the only time he crossed the suspension line. He’s going to ruffle some more feathers for sure but hopefully nothing to this extent. It was just unacceptable.

Well done, Suh!
I’m still waiting on Matthew Stafford to apologize to the Detroit Lions fan base. Because, you know, lost in all this stomp-gate mess, is the fact that the Lions are slowly becoming the Detroit Lions of old. Stafford isn’t exactly helping with 9 INTs in the last 3 games.

Do you think either Smith or Suh had any idea where the ball was toward the end of that play? Of course not! Unless they have eyes in the backs of their heads. Smith took him down, Suh didn’t like the fact that a backup manhandled him, he got mad, and the rest is history. He got on top of Smith and drove his helmet down. Then, he gets up and kicks the guy because he was still throwing his little temper.

And you say Smith shouldn’t be playing if he can’t handle being kicked? Where in the rule book does it say that you should expect to be kicked while in a defenseless position? So if he were kicked in the face, is that still acceptable? It’s no different from being kicked in the bicep.

It’s one thing if he didn’t have a history, but when players like Suh continue to break the rules, he deserves everything coming to him. What if he did serious damage? Is it still not a big deal?

It’s not a real heart felt true apology to be saying “sorry” doing it for reasons to get away with something to the wrong man.
It would be like if I hit someone in a bar and then apologized to the judge instead of to the victim just to stay out of jail.

emoney
Suh was on his knees after a double team, Smith came around him and hit him head on bending Suhs body backwards with his legs under him. YOU don’t think that was with intent to injure? All the crap on here from the sportsmanlike fans that have been calling all season for a season ending cheapshot on Suh if hypocritical. Suh never stepped on Smiths arm and if he had wanted to Smith WOULD be injured. I’m not condoning Suh losing his cool. Never like the after play stuff by anybodt and you see it in EVERY game, so screw Suh pushing NOT slamming Smiths head into the turf and the GB olineman saying their coach told them to do stuff like that, and no what ifs, it’s what is the guy didn’t get hit in the face and the guys not hurt nor did he even get hit in the arm. 2 plays shown of Suhs history were him pushing Cutler down which was a totally legal play and pulling Barbers down by the hair AGAIN a legal play but he got penalized and fined for both. Maybe Hochuli and the ref in the dallas game shouldcall and apologize to Suh. Woodson punches a guy and doesn’t even get a flag? Like I said go polish your last place soccer trophy

Suh is apologizing for perception of the NFL not reality. The reality is that Dietrich-Smith is alive and well and a grown man to boot. Grown men who understand the real pain of the game aren’t sitting around wondering where their apology is from a rival in a game where you hope the worse thing that happens in a game is getting nicked by a backward blind kick; get a fresh set of downs; and their best defensive player kicked out.

And don’t get me wrong, Suh should be fined and suspended. I told my wife HOW STUPID got up and went to the kitchen. It all played into what the media has been hyping on him all season and as a Lionfan it made me embarrassed. I don’t condone ANY after play BS these players do today. Make a tackle and act like you’ve done it before, but this witch hunt on Suh is nuts. You’ll all get your blood and what happens the next time a dlineman kicks a GB olineman? Do they take a look at their tactics then? I hope so…….

Who has he hurt? Nobody missed plays, etc. An attempted stomp, yes, not a good decision, but, it’s not like he hurt the guy!”

Especially since after Rogers has thrown the ball, all other lineman let up and Suh is on his knees, Dietrich-Smith is still shoving and slams him backwards. If you’re forcing someone backwards who is already down, and not trying to injure him, what exactly are you doing? I have yet to hear anyone explain that part.

==================================

Suh has him by the shoulder pads and pulls him down as much as Dietrich-Smith “Slams” him, Suh half rolls over him and has his shoulder pinned in an akward way, enough that he is able to get on top. Pushes the guy ‘s head into the turf 3 times, T.J. Lang see what’s happening to his teammate and runs over and pushes Suh off of him. Then Suh deliberatly stomps on the huys bicep.

I Think the Packers really don’t care what happens to him. In over 1 half of football he had 1 tackle, no sacks, no QB knockdowns and no QB pressure’s. All the Packers have to do is point to the scoreboard and standings.

P.S. Suh was wrong. He should face some kind of suspension. How does that make the Lions the new Nazis? I think a lot of this is from fans of teams that don’t get the free “w” anymore (lookin at you, Chicago and Dallas!)
=================================
So the Lions players act like jag offs and you blame the fans in Chicago and Dallas for it?

@Scratchnpost123
We think the same way. Let’s not forget the lineman who hit Suh after he got off Smith. Also on every pancake block an olineman will lay on top of the dlinemen and in many cases to keep him down they push his head to the ground. Happens all the time. Folks here and many media types only follow the ball and see what the TV wants them to see.

I am truly amazed at all the expert opinions out here. Suh crossed the line and no one really disputes that. But also remember this s football and its a tough sport..so any talk of anger management is absurd. This football not golf.

Suh flies to NY to have Goodell explain the rules to him…………then goes out and body slams a guy’s head into the ground 3 times and stomps on him after the play is done. Makes Goodell look rather foolish and these facts alone should warrant Suh a minimum of a 3game suspension without pay. Fast forward to Sunday, Suh calls his buddy Roger to apologize (for something he claims he didn’t do). Without a significant fine and suspension, Goodell will have every player in the league coming to see him for an “explanation of the rules” because it sure seemed to benefit Mr. Suh.

rmc1995 says:
Nov 28, 2011 8:44 PM
@Scratchnpost123
We think the same way. Let’s not forget the lineman who hit Suh after he got off Smith.

————————————————

Watch it in “Real real slow motion guys” Suh pushes the guys head against the turf three times at a weird angle, When T.J. Lang see’s this, he runs over and pushes Suh off his teammate, He didn’t kick him, punch him or head but him, he pushes him off. That’s when Suh stomps on the guys arm.

If the lions had any fortitude they would have already set him down. He is an embarasment to the NFL and his team.

For all of you idiots saying Suh was bent over backwards after the ball was thrown, think about this. Do you think they stop as soon as the ball is thrown? Do they know when the ball is thrown? Aren’t they suppose to play to the whistle? Some of you people have absolutely no clue about football or any other sport for that matter. The guard just made a play on Suh. How is he suppose to let up when he knows the other guy (Suh) is a known dirty player and will blast him if he is not playing all out? CLUELESS apologists!

@13worldcamps:
Remember when Suh came in to help Jackson in thethe preseason game? Folks here thought Suh should have been kicked out and fined after calling him dirty. Obvious double standard. Awkward positions aren’t illegal and pressing a guys head to the ground is not illegal ifand its donelame between thethe linespreseason and whistles. Suh wasn’t flagged for that and a ref was right there and Suh released him when the ref came in. The push and pull from the two Packers after Suh got up is what set Suh off to do his hissy fit kick. Football is a scary game that a lot of moms don’t like to see their sons play.

Amazing! I posted on this blog, right after Suh had his meeting with Goodell, that he was doing it to get everybody off his case. He doesn’t really care about playing with sportsmanship. It is all about looking like he cares to get the referees off his back. I was given many thumbs down, but I think I had it right. Even his teammates at Nebraska and Detriot have hinted he has a problem and that at least in Detroit, the coaching staff enables him. What a baby, a back-up lineman pancakes him and he goes ballistic. I am sure he called his mama after the game and cried to her that, that Smith guy shouldn’t do that. Well, that’s the Lyins for ya.

Suh is a total POS! I hope he gets three games so he is back for a full game of getting beat by the Packers. I want them to destroy his knees so bad. Normally I would never push for an injury but this idiot has it coming.

You seem to think every QB is captain checkdown. Which is actually quite funny because judging by your screen name it seems you are a Raiders fan. Maybe just a McFadden fan, or maybe I’m wrong, but you talk smack about every QB in the league…. So I’ll just go with the obvious….. and on that note…. Drew Brees’ left foot could get more production than Pick Six Palmer, Jason Cambell, and any other Raiders QB over the last 10 years combined.

Suh is a out of control that needs to be taught a lesson. He makes enough money that these little fines are not getting the point across. Figure a 5 game suspension should be imposed. Of which the union will cry foul and he will get 2-3 games. Next time make it a 10 game suspension. He can learn how to act an professional the easy way or the hard way. The choice is up to him.

I just hope suh-er is on the field on 1/1/12…..that way anyone who thinks he did no wrong can sit back and watch the show………you think the o-linemen for green bay are going to forget that mealy-mouthed pile of drivel that suh-er spewed at his press conference????? Where are all the teammates of suh-er? What are they saying?…… Perhaps he already knows ……he has a direct pipeline to the man upstairs ….. I predict a tail-whipping of epic proportions on January 1st…..for the lions…..suh-er……and the entire organization who has done ABSOLUTELY nothing to disciplin this turd since he threw his little hissy fit…… maybe the packers can put the 4th string guard on him this time so he can dominate and get TWICE as many tackles as last time……two……

It’s somewhat perpostorous that the Commissioner, who by rule is the Judge and Jury on infractions, would take an advance call from the very person who will soon be before him for disapline. Can you imagine a criminal defendant calling the Judge in advance of trial?

Anyone calling for a 5 game suspension is just being ridiculous. Only Haynesworth got 5 games; the most in league history before that was 2. You cannot try and sell me that Suh’s actions were comparable to Haynesworth; Albert went back a second time after he missed, and actually gouged Gurode’s head open for 30 stitches. This play saw no one get injured. Suh should not get more than 2.

I don’t like hypocrits – can you imagine if you had to apologize for every guy you stomped when you lost your balance? I would like to preemptively apologize to everyone who will be at the bar on Saturday night…

…word I just heard from someone in Detroit is a 2 game suspension but with getting credit for the Packer game, so in essence – 1 game suspension.